Are You There, Eren? It's Me, Mikasa!
by Wings Of Sanguine
Summary: As Titans break through Wall Rose, Eren goes missing. Mikasa and Armin must find him before he gets injured- or worse, eaten by the one thing he swore to destroy. (DSICLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN SHINGEKI NO KYOJIN OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS)
1. Chapter 1

The Rose wall was crashing. Titans were breaking through, scrambling about as they scooped up citizens and soldiers alike, insanely drunken grins plastered on their faces. Mikasa Ackerman was tailing Armin Alert , her fellow cadet, as they sprinted across the rooftops, the shingles on the roofs making ti hard for them to keep their balance. Their maneuver gear banged against their thighs as they ran, hands hovering over the swords contained inside, ready to swiftly pull out if need be.

Screams echoed the air, followed by the gnashing of teeth, the crunching of bones. Concrete crumbled as titans forced their way through, rampaging the towns underneath their heavy feet. Mikasa scanned the area, squinting her brown eyes as best she could. Titan steam was everywhere- bodies were disintegrating.

But she couldn't find Eren.

"Where is he?!" she shouted to Armin, her throat scratchy and dry. Armin himself didn't look the best- his short blond hair was frizzed slightly, his thick bangs sticking to his forehead with sweat. Blue eyes wide, he was still getting accustomed to the dangers surrounding them.

"Armin Alert you answer me damn it!" Mikasa demanded, skidding to a stop as they neared the end of the roof. Armin let out a cry of alarm as he toppled into her, maneuver gear chaffing his skin.

"Mikasa!" he shouted, "why… why did you stop!" Tears began to bead at the corner of his eyes as he whipped his head from side to side. Two titans, seven meters tall on the left. One titan about ten meters on the right.

_But where is Eren?_ Mikasa's mind screamed as Armin began screeching, watching with horror and shock and awe as Sasha Braus- although she had ever really known her as Potato Girl- was snatched up, pluck straight off the ground like a feather on a chicken. But that's what they were. Chickens running around blindly, trying to salvage what they could. The Titans were the same way, she guessed, just trying to survive the only way they knew how.

"Mikasa!" Armin's voice broke through her thoughts, bringing her back to reality, back to ruined buildings, broken families. Back to death and destruction.

"Where's Eren, Armin!" Mikasa asked with a cry.

"We need to get off the roof!" Armin cried, the tears flowing freely now. But that was just like Armin, to show his weakness in a troublesome situation. A situation that she and Eren could usually get him out of. But Eren wasn't there.

Gritting her teeth, Mikasa grabbed her swords, yanking them free of the scabbards. Armin flinched as she suddenly jumped, the wires on her maneuver gear slinging straight above his head. Pulling her along, Mikasa flew through the air on the wires, watching as it anchored deeply into a Titan's neck. She could hear Armin yell for her.

"Mikasa, no!" Armin protested with a strangled screech. She ignored him, narrowing her eyes at the Titan she currently stood atop. At the base of its neck. She felt her fingers twitch as she gripped the handle of her sword, her knuckles trying white.

_A simple slice to the neck, Mikasa, just like you learned….._she thought to herself, trying her best to drown out her surroundings. It was better to focus at times like these, to not get distracted.

One swipe of her sword and it would be over. Just to cut out a chunk and it would die for good. Mikasa grimaced as she glared at the skin, knowing that underneath was blood, pumping and pulsating. It's body wasn't that different from hers. Of course, it didn't have reproductive organs or the proper digestive tract. But still.

It wasn't any different from herself.

Yet it wasn't Eren. With the flick of her wrist, she sent the Titan crashing to the ground, blood splashing the ground, the walls, staining her clothes, skin and hair.

"Where are you?!" she screeched, squeezing her eyes shut as she perched atop the giant corpse, watching the Titan's blood create a giant tidal wave, cleansing the streets of any animal of soldier. After a few minutes, Mikasa sheathed her swords, aiming her maneuver gear for the roof as she soared for the millionth time that day- it seemed to be all she did lately, flying like a bird as she cut down the bad guys. Like in stories her parents read to her as a child.

This wasn't a story though. This was reality. And Eren wasn't there.

There was a sharp clang as her gear bit into the structured roof, and she came to a jerking halt as she rolled onto the roof, Armin wide-eyed the entire time. Grunting, se sat up, Armin crouched next to her, eyes filled with concern. _His only concern should be himself_, Mikasa thought as she wiped Titan blood off her face.

"Are you alright, Mikasa?!" Armin urged, his shoulders trembling violently. Mikasa ignored his question, peering around the city. Fellow cadets were being flung about, chopping up Titans left and right. She noticed Marco Bott take down one to their left that looked to be about 12 meters high.

"Armin, you were with Eren- where did he go?!" Mikasa turned to glare at him. A Titan emitted deafening roar that warbled through the air. Armin froze.

"Armin- where did he go?" she demanded coldly. Armin opened his mouth to answer, but no sound came out. He couldn't say anything- there was no way he could exlpain, and Mikasa was definitely going to throw a fit.

"Mikasa…." he began, clearing his throat. Another scream echoed, another life lost to a Titan. Before he had the chance to even register what had happened, Mikasa grabbed him by the collar of his uniform, pulling him close. She didn't have time for his dilly-dallying.

"I need to find Eren, Armin," she hissed, "now where. Is. He." Armin gulped.

"Eren, he… he was eaten!"


	2. Chapter 2

Eren running after the Titan.

Eren losing a leg as the maneuver gear malfunctioned slightly, allowing the Titan to sneak an appetizer.

Eren, bloody and exhausted.

He himself being grabbed, sliding down the monster's throat.

Eren being smashed into the roof.

Eren leaping once more to grab his hand, pulling him out and taking his place.

He shivered, remembering the cold sliminess of its tongue. Armin squeezed his eyes shut, waiting for Mikasa to punch him, smack him, do something. He opened his eyes after a few seconds, gasping.

Mikasa was completely frozen, her fingers clutching his inform for dear life. Her brown eyes were wide with astonishment, looking as if they were about to fall out of their sockets at any moment.

"Mikasa…?" Armin asked cautiously, his voice barely audible.

"E-eaten…" Mikasa whispered, more to herself then Armin.

"Mikasa, he did it to save me," Armin explained slowly, "in all honesty, I wanted him to stop-"

"Then why didn't you?!" Mikasa suddenly shrieked, "why didn't you stop him?!" Tears flowed down her cheeks as she pushed him away roughly. Armin gaped at her, blue eyes filled with what Mikasa could only descrybe as confusion or pain- probably a mix of both. Hanging his head, Armin let out a weak sob. Mikasa glared at him.

"Armin Alert!" she yelled, "why did you not stop him?!" She herself was quaking, trying her bet t keep from crying out loud, attract the attention of the other cadets. They probably wouldn't have heard her though. Only Armin. Armin and the Titan that happened to be closest to them at the time.

"Don't you think I tried?!" Armin broke, his shoulders wracked with sobs, "don't you think I fucking tried?" Mikasa took a step back, appalled. Armin had never spoken to her like that. Ever.

"Armin, i didn't-" she began.

"You didn't what, Mikasa?!" Armin cut her off, his face going red. Mikasa opened her mouth to answer, but nothing came out, instead the terrified cries of those down below, being chased and devoured. Armin sent a trail of spit to his feet, saying coldly, "I thought so."

"Armin!" Mikasa shouted as he began to tug at his gear, "Armin, I'm sorry! it's just that Eren-"

"Eren is important to me as well, Mikasa, not just you!" Armin barked.

"I know that!" Mikasa wailed, "but Eren-"

"Eren what?!" Armin retaliated, "I just told you! He was eaten! I saw!" Armin shivered, reminiscent of the events. The blood.

Eren's arm getting chewed off.

Eren's arm sailing to the ground.

While they stood on the roof, multiple Titans rampages the town. One kicked over a building. Another smashed its face through a wall. Both the cadets could hear the screams of surprise and utter horror as the Titan then began to snap its jaw, tongue sweeping the inside like a broom on the floor. Out of the corner of his eye, Armin noticed something move.

"A shadow….?" he mumbled to himself. Mikasa tucked her black hair out of her face.

"What was that, Armin?" she asked.

"Oh, nothing!" he said with a shake of his head, his blue eyes trailing to the ground.

"But-"

"We should get off the roof now, Mikasa!" Armin said quickly, going to grab her hand. His fingers grazed hers as she pulled away. The shadows was getting closer, he noticed.

"No, Armin, tell me what you said!" Mikasa commanded. As the shadows grew bigger, Armin let himself follow it, nervous that he knew who was the owner.

And it probably wasn't Eren.

"Armin, we don't have all day- literally!" Mikasa groaned. Armin shook his head, now staring into the sky, straight at the sun, His eyes burned.

"No," he said, eerily calm, "we don't have all day….." Mikasa slapped her hands to his shoulders, gripping tightly. She thought her nails were going to rip the fabric of his coat if she dug into it anymore, her knuckles turning white.

"Armin!" she yelled in his face, her voice cracking.

"We need to get off the roof…." he said simply, still looking skyward. The shadow had now blocked out the sun, shrouding them in darkness. Mikasa was oblivious.

"Armin, the roof is the only safe place for us right now!" Mikasa explained, panic rising into her voice. Why was Armin acting so strangely?!

Armin was silent, his body beginning to quake. A fresh batch of tears dotted his eyes. But that was just like Armin. To cry in any given situation that was dangerous. Gently, Mikasa wiped away the tears for him.

"Armin- where is Eren?" she repeated for what seemed like the millionth time. She wasn't sure. _Then again_, she thought, _you can't really be sure of anything anymore. _

"We need to get off the roof…." rain said for the sixth or seventh time. She had lost count. He was still gazing in fear at what was behind them, what she hadn't noticed as the shadow crept over them, blocking out all the light, leaving them to scatter in the dark.

"Armin…..?" Mikasa trailed as she took his cue. Slowly, she turned, and was immediately frozen stiff at what she saw, her brown eyes just as wide as Armin's.

"You're right, Armin," she gulped, her voice almost inaudible, "we need to get off the roof."


	3. Chapter 3

Looming over them was a Titan.

_Move! Grab Armin and run!_ Mikasa's brain screamed. But she couldn't move. Not an inch. And neither could Armin. Even with all their training, all they had seen, they couldn't bring themselves to move an inch.

Armin gulped, adam's apple bobbing as he did so. The Titan looked to be about twelve or thirteen meters high. Possibly even taller then the father of all Titans- the Collossal Titan. But he wasn't sure. It was also highly unlikely, given that this Titan had certain qualities than the others he and Mikasa had seen.

For one thing, it had a full set of teeth. Not that Titan's didn't have full sets, but other Titan's he and seen were missing a few after attacks or afternoon snacks. And this one also had nicer hair, a spiky style that shrouded parts of its face.

"This Titan is different," he mumbled to Mikasa, who nodded as they watched it, it's gray eyes peering from side to side, as if assessing the competition. Cries emanated through the air as Titans made their way throughout the town, advancing towards the back gates. Where people were trying to squeeze through, escape.

Mikasa and Armin needed to get to the back gate. To protect the people who couldn't protect themselves.

So why couldn't they move?

_Come on, Armin!_ Armin thought, _you need to move! If you don't you'll become Titan fodder! _

Instead, they kept their eyes trained on this Titan, watching as it turned, the ground rumbling as it took a few steps to the left. Before they had time to react, the new Titan raised an oversized hand, and even from a distance, he could count the number of tendons stretching from its knuckles as it curled its fingers into a fist.

"What is it doing?" Mikasa asked Armin, her voice shaky.

"I don't know…." he said, although the Titan then let out an angry roar, drowning out his voice. Both jumped as it then pulled its arm back, then swung. Fist connected with face as it then flung the Titan away, although for the new Titan, it would have seemed more like a simple shove to the side.

"What the fuck?!" Armin muttered with awe, watching as the Titan then began cornering the other ones, trying its best to fend them off.

"It looks as if it's trying to protect the people," Mikasa pointed out, "but why?" Armin shrugged. people on the ground sprinted towards the back gate, a sea of bodies trod ding on their fallen neighbors and families, bone crunching and blood splashing under their feet.

But Eren wasn't down there.

And he wasn't on the roof.

"We need to get back to HQ," Mikasa said, "tell Marco or Jean- somebody!" Armin nodded, enraptured as the new Titan took down another one- the Armored Titan, although he wasn't sure why it was called that. The Armored Titan had bits of muscle and sinews peeping out between bits of skin, so there wasn't any reason it should have been called an Armored Titan. They could have called the new Titan an Abnormal Titan, but it didn't look incredibly fast like Abnormal Titans usually were.

"What is it called though?" Armin asked. Mikasa shrugged. To their right, a normal Titan kicked a house out of its path, the Titan about seven meters tall.

"We'll have to go with Unidentified Titan for now," Mikasa said, suddenly grabbing his hand.

"Mikasa, what-?!"

"We need to get back, now!" she said bluntly, readying her maneuver gear. Without giving him a chance to prepare his gear, Mikasa looped her arm around his waist, clutching him tightly.

"Mikasa, I have gear of my own!" Armin kicked, trying to get out of her grasp, but to no avail. She already had sent out wires, the hooks digging into the building across the street from the one they currently stood on.

"We have no time!" Mikasa protested, tugging on the wire. Crouching, she was ready to jump when all of a sudden Armin screeched.

"Mikasa, look out!" he screamed, grabbing her head, forcing her to look up.

Towering over them was another Titan, it; face pulled back into an eery grin. One of it's front teeth were knocked out, a trail of blood- _Human blood, no doubt_, Mikasa thought- trailing down its chin like a river. Before the Titan could smash a fist down on them, Mikasa log rolled to the side, porcelain shingles smashing, bits and pieces flying in every direction. The wire attached to her gear was pulled taut, the hook straining to stay connected. As soon as she rolled, her body jerked, Armin flying free from her grasp. Armin rolled a few feet away, coming to a stop at the edge of the roof.

"Armin!" Mikasa called for him, clambering her way over, the shingles of the roof digging into her skin as she climbed over to him. Panting, she gripped his shoulders, shaking hard.

"Armin! Armin! Get up!" she was wailing, tears blurring her vision. Armin didn't answer, his head lolling to the side. Eyes bugging until they would practically fall out of their sockets, Mikasa looped her hands under his armpits, pulling him up so he was leaning against her. Of course, he felt like lead, a deadweight dragging her underwater- in this case, blood. It seemed to leak from his ears, creating rivers on the roof, staining her uniform and gear. _This isn't good! this isn't good! _her brain yelled. It sounded as if her heart was pounding in her ears, drowning out the screams of civilians, her fellow cadets.

But none of them sounded like Eren.

Turning her head, she saw the Titan raise its fist again.

"I'l be back, Armin- don't do anything stupid!" Mikasa top dyer unconscious comrade as she pushed him off her, pulling herself up to stand as she tugged on her gear, which was slick with Armin's blood. Aiming the wires, she was about to anchor herself so she could get tot eh other roof, when the Titan suddenly let out a deafening roar, and she could see plainly its teeth rattle in its jaw.

"What…?"

The Unidentified Titan came soon after, fist in the air. From the way it was positioned, Mikasa concluded that it had punched the other Titan out of the way. _But why? _she thought, _Titans are not supposed to do that…. _


End file.
